Chinese Catholic Links-Updated with additional links
Many of these links I have already posted to Twitter, but in case you missed them, I want to share them here.
At the end of March, a new bishop approved by both the Vatican and the Chinese government was ordained in Jiangmen Diocese. This Diocese is on my wish list of places to visit because of the rich history. St. Francis Xavier died at Shangchuan, waiting for permission to enter the Mainland (his body was later transferred to Goa), and the early Jesuits, including Matteo Ricci, spent years in Zhaoqing. I have not seen it, but Bishop Liang's coat of arms reportedly incorporates images of St. Francis Xavier and Fr. Ricci.
Over the weekend came the amazing news that the Shanghai Diocese, with the Vatican's approval, has opened the cause of Beatification of Xu Guangqi. He was a frequent collaborator with Matteo Ricci, and in Beijing his contributions to Chinese Astronomy are noted at the museum at the old Astronomical Observatory.
It's important to note that while Xu is not potentially the first Chinese to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church, he is, as far as I can tell, the first non-martyr whose cause has made it to this stage. Also, Xu, long affiliated with the Jesuits, was not a priest. He and his descendants, though, were especially generous to spreading the Faith in China. The land they donated to the Jesuits, the Xujiahui section of Shanghai, was the center of Jesuit activity in Asia. It is where St. Ignatius Cathedral stands. It is a church I never tire of visiting, either just to admire the progress on the stained glass window project or to go to Mass.
I posted some pictures from Palm Sunday that evening, and the Diocese of Beijing has some photos from other processions in the city on its website. Last year by mid-Holy Week the Chrism Mass pictures were up, so I'll add them to the end of this post if that is the case again this year.
4/22 Update: Here are more pictures from Palm Sunday processions in the city. And here are pictures from the Chrism Mass, held yesterday morning.
At the end of March, a new bishop approved by both the Vatican and the Chinese government was ordained in Jiangmen Diocese. This Diocese is on my wish list of places to visit because of the rich history. St. Francis Xavier died at Shangchuan, waiting for permission to enter the Mainland (his body was later transferred to Goa), and the early Jesuits, including Matteo Ricci, spent years in Zhaoqing. I have not seen it, but Bishop Liang's coat of arms reportedly incorporates images of St. Francis Xavier and Fr. Ricci.
Over the weekend came the amazing news that the Shanghai Diocese, with the Vatican's approval, has opened the cause of Beatification of Xu Guangqi. He was a frequent collaborator with Matteo Ricci, and in Beijing his contributions to Chinese Astronomy are noted at the museum at the old Astronomical Observatory.
It's important to note that while Xu is not potentially the first Chinese to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church, he is, as far as I can tell, the first non-martyr whose cause has made it to this stage. Also, Xu, long affiliated with the Jesuits, was not a priest. He and his descendants, though, were especially generous to spreading the Faith in China. The land they donated to the Jesuits, the Xujiahui section of Shanghai, was the center of Jesuit activity in Asia. It is where St. Ignatius Cathedral stands. It is a church I never tire of visiting, either just to admire the progress on the stained glass window project or to go to Mass.
I posted some pictures from Palm Sunday that evening, and the Diocese of Beijing has some photos from other processions in the city on its website. Last year by mid-Holy Week the Chrism Mass pictures were up, so I'll add them to the end of this post if that is the case again this year.
4/22 Update: Here are more pictures from Palm Sunday processions in the city. And here are pictures from the Chrism Mass, held yesterday morning.
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